What is the Pokémon Critical Hit Multiplier? (How Does Critical Hit Multiplier Work in Pokémon?)

As a novice Pokémon player, I often wondered if there were more powerful moves and attacks I could use to beat powerful Pokémon like Landorus.

I used to believe the only way to do this is by leveling up in the game🤦.

It took me some time and experience to appreciate that this was not the only way to cause more damage. Following my interactions with fellow Pokémon players online, I learned about the critical hit multiplier (crit multiplier) and its essence for enhancing damage during attacks and battles.

This hit causes 2x the damage a normal blow would cause. So, let us learn more about the crit multiplier.

Shall we?

Via Gifdb

How Does the Critical Hit Multiplier Work?

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A critical hit poses more damage than a move or attack would have done under normal circumstances. The critical hit multiplier determines the extent of damage by accelerating it by a given number.

This number varies depending on the Generation of the Pokémon game the player is playing. In Generation 1, a critical hit deals roughly two times the damage than normal.

The estimated multiplier for this Generation is a fraction formula where 2L+5 is the numerator and L+5 is the denominator. L denotes the attacking Pokémon’s level.

That places higher-leveled Pokémon at an advantage 💪as they enjoy significant critical hit boosts.

A level 10 Pokémon will cause 1.67x critical damage. While a level 80 Pokémon could cause 1.94x damage. The multiplier in Generation II up to V is double (2x), while that for Generation VI and above is 1.5x. 

Hence, the critical hit multiplier works by increasing the extent of damage of a move or attack by a certain number of times depending on the multiplier used.

What Item in Pokémon Increases the Critical Hit Rate?

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For an item-based solution to increasing crit, you have to acquire the scope lens, whose effect is that it can boost the player’s critical damage and critical rate or critical hit ratio.

The location where you can get the scope lens 🥸varies depending on which Pokémon game you are playing.

For instance, you can get the scope lens at any of the Delibird Presents stores in Scarlet and Violet and the Fight Area and the Batte Park in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

You can also get it at the Paniola Ranch and Battle Royal Dome in Sun and Moon (or Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon) and Route 9 in Sword and Shield.

You could also receive a scope lens as a reward for completing a challenge at the beginner’s level in Pokémon Unite.

Via Gifdb

How Much Extra Damage Does a Critical Hit Do?

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A critical hit results in critical damage: when an attack or move results in more damage than is typical for that attack. 

The amount of extra damage a critical hit can cause depends on the Generation in which the Pokémon game falls.

As explained earlier, different generations have different critical hit multipliers. So, a Generation VI Pokémon game will cause 1.5 times more damage💥.

You can enhance the damage further by doing specific moves like Focus Energy and attacks like Slash: these have elevated critical hit ratios.

Notably, five moves cannot get a critical hit in specific generations of the Pokémon game. The table below summarizes these moves and the respective Generations affected:

Move:	Generations
Future Sight	Generations II, III, and IV
Spit Up	Generation III
Flail	Generation II
Doom Desire	Generations III and IV
Reversal	Generation II